At Home With Valerie

A few tips to help you head out on that summer vacation worry-free. Have a great trip!    

Moving can be a stressful time, especially for children. Here are just a few tips to make the transition a bit smoother.

Approximately 500,000 pets are affected annually by home fires. Keep your pets safe by following these tips.

If you love your lawn, it's only natural that you would want to give it the proper care to help give it a healthy appearance. After all, your landscape is one of the first things that people will notice when they arrive at your home. Your lawn can either make or break your curb appeal. Grooming If you have weeds, remove them with the proper tools or by pulling them out of the ground manually. An important part of grooming your lawn is mowing it regularly to give it a manicured appearance. Feed Your Lawn Yes, even your yard gets hungry and what it craves more than anything is water. Most experts recommend that one thorough watering each week is preferable over a light misting every other day. When it comes to feeding your lawn, the best time of year to fertilize is during the spring. This is when your lawn begins to grow and its beautiful shade of green begins to come alive, which is why it's important to make sure that it has all of the nutrients that...

(BPT) - Summer is a time to get the family back outside to play after a long winter of being stuck inside. Those outdoor adventures - for kids big and small - may also bring a few unexpected injuries. Parents never want to see their kids hurt, but when those minor cuts or scrapes do occur, it's important to know what to do - and what to use - to help prevent infection and get little ones back to their adventures. "As parents, we want to protect our kids, especially when it comes to treating the minor cuts and scrapes that are an inevitable part of growing up," says Dr. Natasha Burgert, a pediatrician and healthy child advocate. "Knowing the correct way to treat a minor cut, scrape or burn, and the first aid treatment you should have on hand, can help you feel prepared to face the unpredictable." Dr. Burgert stresses that parents need to be focused on prevention. "Infection prevention is priority number one in first aid. When your child gets hurt, you...

(BPT) - Now that summer is here, for many, it seems opportunities to savor those sun-drenched days and starry nights are all too limited. Events and activities are already stacking up on the calendar, and it's almost as if the season is over before it begins. It's not just you who's feeling the summer squeeze. Four in five Americans (83%) agree summer passes by too quickly, according to a new survey commissioned by outdoor retailer L.L. Bean, and more than half of them feel they don't have time to truly enjoy it. Before you know it, summer will be over. Make it your mission to get the most of those precious summer days by spending more time outside with your friends and family. With the help of these tips, you'll be well on your way to getting "s'more" out of summer! Discover a new park - There are more than 400 national parks, monuments and recreation areas waiting to be explored. You might be surprised you have plenty of options to choose from clo...